By Chris Carter, Managing Solicitor · March 2026 · Accident at Work Claims

A plant hire company based near Manchester has been fined £10,000 after a one-tonne digger bucket fell on a mechanic who was helping to repair a tipper truck. The worker suffered serious injuries across multiple parts of his body and developed a blood clot in his lungs.

The Health and Safety Executive found that the company had used a JCB bucket to hold up the tipper body while the repair was carried out underneath. The bucket became dislodged. It fell. A worker paid the price for an employer’s shortcut.

If you have been hurt by falling equipment at work, this is what you need to know. Whether it was a raised vehicle body, a forklift load, or anything else that should have been properly secured.

Something Fell on Me at Work. Was My Employer Actually at Fault?

In this case, the answer was clear. The HSE investigation found that the company had not used appropriate equipment to support the raised tipper body. The bucket being used as a prop had no quick hitch and no retaining pin. It was the wrong tool for the job.

That matters because Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a duty on every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees. Using makeshift equipment to hold up several tonnes of metal is not reasonably practicable. It is a gamble with someone’s body.

The HSE inspector put it plainly: every year, serious and sometimes fatal injuries happen to people working under poorly propped vehicle bodies. The risk is well known. The solution is proper mechanical props designed for the load. Simple. Inexpensive. There is no excuse for getting this wrong.

They’ll Say I Should Have Refused to Work Under It. Is That Fair?

No. Your employer set up the system of work. They chose the equipment. They told you where to stand and what to do. If they propped up a vehicle with the wrong equipment, that is their failure. Not yours.

The law does not expect you to second-guess your employer’s engineering decisions on the spot. Employer duty of care means they must assess the risks, provide the right equipment, and supervise the work properly. If the prop fails, the blame sits with the person who chose it. Not the person working under it.

Even if you had concerns at the time, most workers feel they cannot refuse a task set by their employer. That pressure does not reduce your employer’s liability. It increases it.

I Was Seriously Hurt. What Kind of Compensation Could I Get?

The worker in this case suffered multiple fractures and a blood clot. Those are life-changing injuries. The compensation in a claim like this covers three things: the pain and suffering caused by the injury itself, the financial losses you have already experienced, and the future impact on your earning capacity and quality of life.

For serious injuries involving multiple fractures, long-term mobility problems, or complications like blood clots, the compensation reflects the severity. The Judicial College Guidelines provide the framework courts use to value injuries. The exact figure depends on your specific injuries, your recovery, and how the accident has affected your working life.

Most workplace injury claims take 4-8 months to resolve. More complex cases involving serious or permanent injuries may take longer, but the process is designed to get you the right result. Not a rushed one.

I’m Worried About the Cost. Can I Actually Afford a Solicitor?

You do not pay anything upfront. We work on a No Win No Fee basis. If your claim is unsuccessful, you owe us nothing. If it succeeds, our fee is a percentage of your compensation, and you know what that percentage is before you start.

What Should I Do Right Now If Equipment Fell on Me at Work?

Report the accident to your employer. Make sure it goes in the accident book. If your employer has not reported it, do it yourself. The record matters.

See a doctor. Even if you went to A&E on the day, follow up with your GP. Your medical records are the foundation of your claim. Every symptom you describe now gets recorded. Every symptom you forget to mention becomes harder to prove later.

Take photographs if you can. The equipment that failed, the area where you were working, any damage to your clothing or PPE. If anyone witnessed what happened, make a note of their name and contact details. These things fade quickly.

Then call us. The earlier we are involved, the more evidence we can preserve. Employers have been known to fix equipment, rewrite risk assessments, and tidy up the scene after an incident. The sooner your solicitor is on record, the harder it is for evidence to quietly disappear.